Travel ban slapped on Bangladesh leader over Israel-linked allegation to "topple government"

Bangladesh has slapped a travel ban on a leader of ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) over Israel- linked allegation to "topple Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government."

Iqbal Bahar, a spokesman of Bangladesh Police in Chittagong, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka, told reporters on Sunday that "BNP leader Aslam Chowdhury will be arrested on sight wherever he is found."

Bahar, Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) commissioner, also said a restriction was imposed on traveling of Aslam, who has recently been appointed as a BNP joint secretary general.

He said there is an allegation that the BNP leader has met a leader of Israel's ruling Likud party.

After media reports surfaced in Bangladesh, the matter created huge uproar among the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party leaders who alleged that the BNP leader was involved in hatching a plot to topple the Hasina government by joining forces with the Israeli politician.

According to the local reports, the BNP leader met Mendi Safadi in New Delhi early this month. Some local media also reportedly published photographs of Aslam and the Israeli politician.

Amid the ruling party uproar, Aslam reportedly admitted that he had a meeting with the Israeli politician but claimed It was an accidental meeting.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said BNP has been trying to come to power by using the Israeli intelligence agency.

Amid swirling controversy, Zia's BNP has also rebuked Aslam for meeting the Israeli politician.

A BNP spokesman said it was not aware of the meeting. Zia has warned that stern action will be taken against the leader if he repeats such acts in the future, said the spokesman who declined to be named.

National Standing Committee Member of the BNP, Lieutenant General Mahbubur Rahman (retired), also the former Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh Army told Xinhua that BNP supports a sovereign Palestinian state and an end to Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine.

"He (Aslam) as a BNP leader should have been more careful. We condemn any such meeting. This is very unfortunate," he said. "We always stand by the Palestinian people and Islamic Ummah (the Muslim community)."

Muslim-majority Bangladesh does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and its citizens are forbidden to visit the country. Bangladeshi people also still have strong anti-Israel sentiments.

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, who leads the Weekly Blitz newspaper in Bangladesh, was convicted of damaging national interests with his articles and for his planned trip to Israel over a decade ago.

A court in 2014 court sentenced the editor to seven years in prison for his articles and for trying to visit Israel.

(APD)